All Big Men Are Dreamers
by Sara Abigail
Summary: Nothing happens unless first a dream. -Carl Sandburg. After introducing his children to their new governess, Fraulein Maria, the Captain disappears to his study, where he has an interesting encounter.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so this is basically a random idea that wouldn't leave me alone. Right now it stands as a one shot, but I do hope to go back and finish it one day. But since I never can manage to update anything, I figured I'd make it have a nice little ending, incase I never return to it. But yes, this is just a short (or not so short, haha it kind of ran away with me) little…thing, a 'what if' of sorts. I hope you enjoy and please review, they make me smile. (:

Disclaimer: Yep, I definitely own The Sound of Music. Oh, you meant the rights? Yeah, no. I don't own those. Just a DVD copy.

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><p>Captain Georg von Trapp had the worst headache. After dealing with that absurd excuse for a governess he escaped to the quiet seclusion of his study. He attempted to work for a bit, before the dull ache in his head became too much to ignore. He still had time before dinner for a quick nap, or at least a rest. Not wishing to run the risk of running into anyone on the way to his room, their voices magnifying the pain, he lay on the small couch opposite his desk. He didn't use it often, but now seemed to be the perfect excuse.<p>

George never actually believed he would sleep, but soon he was drifting off, the world slowly slipping away. Soon he was no longer on the couch, but standing in a dark room, someone walking toward him.

"Agathe?" He asked in disbelief.

"Hello Georg." She smiled.

"What? How?" The captain took a deep breath. "I've missed you."

"I know you have," she said, reaching her hand up to graze his cheek. "And while I've missed you, I haven't been too happy with you."

He hung his head, aware to what she was referring to, his treatment of their children.

"You're allowed to miss me, darling, but it shouldn't consume you. You need to move on."

"Move on?" Georg sputtered. Was she suggesting he _find someone else_? As if his wife could ever be replaced.

"I know you loved me, that you will always love me. But now, you deserve to be happy."

"Elsa," He started.

Agathe smiled slightly. "Yes, Elsa. She is a wonderful woman, but are you sure she's the right one for you? For our children?"

You're the only one, he wanted to say but stopped himself. He would never fall in love again, and Else was a good choice.

"There's something I want you to see. You're really not allowed, but," she grinned sheepishly. "What's one little rule, huh?"

"Show me what?"

"What you can have, if you let it happen," Agathe said simply. "Will you let me show you?"

"Of course," he said automatically. Suddenly a light appeared at the other end of the room. Agathe took his hand and walked him towards it.

"All you have to do, is go through there."

Georg looked at her. "You're not coming with me?"

She shook her head. "This is something you need to experience on your own." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I will always love you."

"And I you," he responded.

Agathe smiled. "Now, go." She nudged him forward. "See what you're missing out on."

With one last look at his wife, the captain walked into the light.

_It happened like a movie, with Georg watching, experiencing, feeling, yet having no control over anything. Georg stared on as he saw himself walk out his front door and glance up at the Nazi flag hanging in front of it. Disgusted, the man before him reached up and yanked it down, before beginning to tear it in two. He was almost done when voices distracted him._

_Cries of "Father!" made the man's head snap up, and Georg turned too. His children were all in his car, pulling in the driveway with who looked to be Max at the wheel. Confusion cascaded over Georg. They'd been out with Max? Without their uniforms? The children hadn't greeted him like that in such a long time. However, the man in the dream was not confused. He smiled as his children drove up, obviously happy to see them._

"_Hello! Hello! Hello!" He called, coming to open the door._

"_We didn't expect you back so soon!"_

"_Did you bring us anything from Paris?"_

_He'd been in Paris? Georg was accustomed to going out of town for months at a time, but never to Paris. He was still confused as to when Max had arrived. And what was he doing with the children? Where the devil was tomboyish governess he'd hired to keep watch over them? He knew the children weren't fond of her, but had they really gotten rid of her so soon that Max had been the only one left to watch over them?_

"_Hello!" Another voice called and Georg looked back. Well at least that explained where the governess was._

_Except she looked nothing like the future nun that had graced his door step that afternoon. She was wearing a beautiful yellow dress suit, the neckline, which was much less modest than the gray thing she'd been wearing, was accented by a small pendant. She looked stunning. But she'd been coming from the house. He'd been alone with the governess while the children were out? _

_His children flew to her, just as excited to see her. Apparently she'd grown on them while he was away._

"_Why didn't you telephone us?" Friedrick asked._

"_Well we tried to but we couldn't get through," she answered._

_He'd been away, in Paris, with her? His children's governess? That was…preposterous. There was no way he would break protocol that way. Yet, it appeared so. And no one seemed upset about it, least of all the man he was in the dream._

_He looked at Max with a tight smile and held up the crumpled up Nazi flag._

"_I had nothing to do with that Georg."_

"_We came back as fast as we could." He turned to his children. "Well, well, well we missed you!" He grabbed Marta and picked her up. When was the last time Georg had acted in such a way around them?_

"_We missed kissing you goodnight." The governess smiled at them._

"_We missed all the noise you make in the morning telling each other to be quiet."_

"_Mostly we missed hearing you sing."_

_His children were singing?_

"_Oh you came back just in time!" Brigitta exclaimed. "Look Fraulein Maria-I mean mother-we're going to sing in the festival tonight."_

_Mother? _Mother? _He'd married her? It had to have been recent if his daughter was still trying to remember the name change. Paris. They must have been on their honeymoon. And the look Maria gave him, as Brigitta called her mother, oh, it made her even more beautiful. The dream version of him, however, was slowing losing his excitement as he reached over his children's heads to grab the program out of his daughter's hand._

"_Surprise, surprise!" Max chuckled nervously._

_Georg shot him a look before smiling at his children. "Alright, surprises for you on the terrace." The young ones hurried off, Liesl staying behind with Maria. "We'll talk about this inside."_

"_Georg, I would've told you but you were away," Max said as they walked in the villa. "I had to make a last minute decision. I was fortunate to enter them at all."_

"_Max."_

"_They'll be the talk of the festival."_

"_Max." Georg's tone was more insistent._

"_Imagine, seven children at one time."_

"_Max! Some how I recall having made it quite clear how I feel about my family singing in public."_

_He did?_

"_But," Max continued. "The committee heard them and they were enchanted."_

"_Oh, Max what did they say?" Maria asked._

"_I have never heard such enthusiasm."_

"_Oh, darling don't you think just this once?"_

_Georg looked back at her. "Absolutely out of the question."_

"_Georg. This is for Austria."_

"_Austria?" He laughed. "There is no Austria."_

"_The Anchluss happen peacefully, lets at least be grateful for that."_

"_Grateful?" Georg shouted. The room froze at the change in mood. "You know Max, sometimes I don't believe I know you."_

_Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maria start towards him, but his oldest daughter cut her off. _

"_Father, I forgot. This is for you." She handed him and telegram and he took it, before disappearing into his study._

Georg was startled out of his dream by Franz alerting him to dinner. He waved the butler off, telling him he'd be down shortly. He quickly began to make himself look presentable, trying desperately to erase the images from his dream. He'd dreamt of the governess. He'd dreamt of _marrying_ the governess. Sure, she was young and beautiful, he supposed, though you couldn't tell under the hideous thing of a dress she'd worn from the Abbey that afternoon. But the woman in his dreams had been beautiful, stunning. He would've never guessed how attractive she would look with more form fitting attire.

But it wasn't just her clothing, it was the smile on her face, the glow she had around her, being surrounded by his children, _their_ children. She looked like she belonged.

Georg physically shook himself. She was his governess. This wasn't some bizarre dream. She was the governess, a future nun. He should not be thinking of her this way. It was just a silly dream.

When he arrived at the dinner table, his children were already seated, their conversations coming to a halt as he entered the room. Things were just the way they always were. And yet…and yet he suddenly wanted the noise. The laughter, the teasing. He wanted to see the bright, smiling faces of his children as they giggled with one another. Angry with himself, he pushed those thoughts aside as he sat down. It was then he noticed the chair across from him was empty. Where the devil was the-?

The sound of hurrying footsteps filled the air just before the children's governess, Fraulein Maria, came bounding into the room. She slowed as she entered and walked to her seat.

"Good evening, children."

"Good evening, Fraulein Maria," They said together. Georg watched as Maria sat down in her chair, only to shoot back up again, a startled cry escaping her lips.

He smiled as he remembered the pinecone trick. This one was a classic. "Enchanting little ritual. Something you learned at the Abbey?"

"No, uh, it's um…rheumatism," she said and sat down again. One of Georg's eyebrows rose. She didn't call the children on their prank? Interesting.

They picked up their forks and began to eat in silence.

"Excuse me, Captain. Haven't we forgotten to thank the Lord?"

Georg looked up at Maria-Fraulein Maria-and sat down his silverware with an annoyed eye roll. His children followed in suit.

"For what we are about to receive may the Lord make us truly thankful, Amen."

"Amen," he said after her.

"Amen." The children were last. The room began eating again.

After a few moments of silence, Maria spoke again. "I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for the gift you left in my pocket earlier today."

Everyone had turned to her when she started speaking, the children's faces turning from blank to angry while she spoke. Georg had a feeling he knew what she was talking about, the von Trapp children always had a not so wonderful welcome gift for their new governesses, but decided to see where she'd take this.

"Um, what gift?" He asked.

She seemed to pick up on the angry stares. "It's meant to be a secret, Captain between the children and me."

Once again, she wasn't going to tell on them? Every other governess had run to him immediately whenever one of his children played a prank on them. This one had two opportunities to turn them in and still she said nothing. Very intriguing.

"Uh huh, then I suggest that you keep it, and let us eat."

He expected her to keep quiet, but of course she didn't. "Knowing how nervous I must have been, a stranger in a new household. Knowing how important it was for me to feel accepted. It was so thoughtful of you to make my first moments here so warm, and happy, and pleasant."

Maria's-Fraulein Maria's, he needed to stop calling her that-speech had been delivered in the most cheerful of voices, as if what that had given her was actually a gift, and not some rodent or whatever else his children could find. He knew what she was doing of course, and it was a very smart move. Maybe his prank loving sons and daughters had finally met their match with this one.

Fraulein Maria's words seemed to have gotten to at least one of them, Marta's crying breaking the silence. Soon the others followed only the boys and Liesl were the only ones not crying and even they had dejected looks on their faces.

"Uh, Fraulein? Is it to be at every meal, or merely at just dinner time, that you intend on leading us through this rare, and wonderful new world of indigestion?"

The governess smiled at him. "Oh, they're alright, Captain, they're just happy."

This woman definitely had spunk, a trait that seemed to be lacking as of late in the people Georg had chosen to surround himself with. There was something about her; something he couldn't place, but it made him feel…it made him _feel_. And that was something he hadn't done in a long time.

In his dream, Agathe had told him it was time to move on, and at least the dream version of his dead wife appeared to believe that he would find what he needed in Maria. Georg frowned. He was analyzing this too much. It was just a dream. A silly, odd, dream that held no stock in reality. There was no possibility of him falling in love with the future nun currently playing the role of governess. He would go see, Elsa, probably marry her before the summer was out, and the nun would scurry back to her convent. There was no use entertaining any other thoughts.

But, oh, she did have a radiant smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Well hello again! It's been, what, almost two years? Long time no see! I'm so glad you guys enjoyed this first part, and I hope you like this one as well. It's a little short, but I think I like it. We've got two more left after this one, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get them up. I already know which scenes I'm doing, I just have to write it first. Well, anyway, I'll let you guys get reading! :)

PS it's like two in the morning right now, and I just wrote this in like one sitting, so I apologize for any and all mistakes you may find.

Disclaimer: Yeah, I own a laptop...that's pretty much it. Oh, and phone. But yes just a laptop and a phone...and an iPod. And-oh forget it, you get the point.

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><p>She brought music back into the house.<p>

She was loud, spoke out of turn, disobeyed every one of his direct orders. She let his children climb trees and roam about town in clothes made from her old drapes. Drapes! His children we're out in public in those hideous things. She was dis-respective of his authority. She deserved getting fired.

She brought music back into the house.

The emotions that slammed into him when he heard his children singing for the first time in so many years took his breath. He'd rushed in to see them, to listen to them. For once he had no intention of scolding them.

Georg had stayed hidden in the doorway, just watching as his children sang for Elsa and Max. The longer he listened, the more sure he was that he'd never heard anything more beautiful. But after a few minutes, the words of the song they we're singing came back to him, and he stepped in the room to join them.

The sitting room had been dead silent after the song was over, neither party quite sure how to proceed. Then Georg's hand twitched, as if it meant to reach out to them, but was stopped. That's all it took for his children to rush into his arms. The hug that followed was the best Georg had ever experienced.

It wasn't until the governess was caught spying that he remembered that she did this. She taught his wonderful children to sing, she got them to smile and laugh and foolishly stand up on rowboats. She brought his children back to him.

And he had just fired her.

"Don't go away," he whispered to his sons and daughters before he hurried out of he room after her. She was running up the stairs when he caught her and he called out to her. Fraulein Maria paused at the sound of his voice.

He knew he wanted her to stay, and to do that, he also knew he would have to swallow his pride and do something he didn't like to do very often.

"I behaved badly. I apologize." He told her. She shook her head slightly.

"I'm far too outspoken, it's one of my worst faults."

Georg didn't see it as much of a fault at the moment. "You were right. I don't know my children."

The governess leaned on the railing of the staircase and Georg was suddenly aware of how skin tight her dress had become now that it was soaked. Being the gentleman he was, he refused to let his eyes wander. If only his mind was so easily controlled.

"There's still time, Captain," Fraulein Maria was saying. "They want so much to be close to you."

As he watched her on the stairs, he couldn't help but marvel at how brilliant she was. This young future nun had done something others had failed at. "You brought music back into the house." And you brought me back to my children. "I'd forgotten."

She'd brought him a second chance he never thought he'd get to have with his children. He was going to spend as much time as he could learning about them agains, and spending time with them again. And there was no one else he'd rather have around to help him than her.

Wait, what?

But he didn't have time to analyze any of that because she was moving up the stairs again, moving to go pack and leave and never return. The thought of her leaving tore at him in a way he was very familiar with and his next words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"Fraulein! I want you to stay." Realizing he may have sounded a little harsh and a tad over eager, he amended his statement. "I ask you to stay."

Relief crossed her features. She didn't want to leave either. That thought made his heart flutter for reasons he didn't want to think about.

"If I could be of any help."

He almost laughed. "You have already. More than you know."

Georg walked away then, more from fear of blurting out something stupid than an actual desire to move away from her. No, he thought, he wasn't walking away from her but to his children, his wonderful, patient children. And of course Elsa.

Elsa. Georg had completely forgotten about her while he'd been attempting to not drool over his children's governess like a school boy. He mentally shook himself. He needed to stop thinking like this. It didn't matter how attractive the governess was, or that his children seemed to adore her, or that she'd stood up for them, his children, when everyone else had been to afraid to. She was the governess. Nothing more. Images of the recurring dream he'd been having since Fraulein Maria's first day with them floated back into his mind and Georg shoved them down. His was not going to marry the governess.

He was going to propose to Elsa soon, they both knew that was the reason she'd been brought to meet his children. His was going to marry Elsa, they we're going to be a happy family, and the governess would become a nun. Nothing was going to change that.

Right?


	3. Chapter 3

Oh hey! Look it hasn't been two years! :) Aren't you proud of me? :) Unfortunately, I have to saw don't expect such a quick update for the next one though, because really, I feel like this is a fluke, haha. But who knows, I may even surprise myself and have the last chapter up soon, you never know. :) And before anyone asks, yes where I stopped is the end for this scene. The next chapter will not be picking up where this one leaves off. I really felt like I couldn't continue this one anymore without feeling like I was repeating myself. But, that being said, I'm really quite happy with this one, and I hope you guys will be, too! :)

Hopefully I will see you guys again sooner rather than later! :)

Disclaimer: Really? I'm a broke college kid. Let's just correctly assume that these characters aren't mine.

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><p>He began to regret his proposal to Elsa the moment he saw her again, surrounded by his children looking so beautiful and sad that he wanted to take her in his arms and hold her tight until she was happy again. And considering that when he came outside moments earlier to see what had caught his children's attention, the governess had been smiling until the oldest ones mentioned his engagement, it seemed possible that he was enough to bring her smile back.<p>

Oh, he hoped so.

There really was no use pretending anymore. No use ignoring the fact that he began falling for her the moment he heard her laugh as she sat on that pine cone her first night with them. Maybe even before, if he counted the bizarre dream he'd had that day.

Even his month with Elsa was wasted the moment he saw her walk out of that lake, her dress wonderfully clingy in all the right places, his suddenly powerful desire possibly fueling his anger more than her disobedience had. There had been a moment during the argument when yelling at her or kissing her were both such real possibilities that he had to distance himself from her in order to keep himself in check.

And that was weeks before their dance.

There had been moments between them before then, of course, whether the future nun was aware of all of them or not. The lake and later on during his apology. The night of the puppet show, when he actually had to concentrate to keep his eyes from lingering on her too long, and then failing miserably when he'd sung for them. He'd dismissed them all, citing whatever reason necessary to excuse his odd behavior, anything to avoid the obvious conclusion; that he was in love with her.

But then they danced together at the party and he knew. It hit him with a jolt, almost knocked the breath from him. They were just beginning to stop moving, neither one of them thinking all that much about the steps anymore. It was the closest he'd ever came to kissing her, his mind had already been made up, was already planning to do it, having forgotten everything around him. Then she backed away, and a few minutes later his...Elsa spoke and everything came crashing down.

His immediate reaction had been annoyance. Not love, not affection, not even guilt, though that did come later. No, he heard Elsa speak and was annoyed to find she was there at all. Intruding on his moment, their moment. And that's when he knew, when he was absolutely certain he'd fallen out of whatever it was he had with Elsa and in love with his children's governess, who was also a future nun.

Then Maria left, and he'd be lying if he said that under that intense longing and sorrow that developed when he found her letter, that there wasn't a little bit of relief there too.

His children still needed a mother, and there was no use in hoping a future nun would suddenly abandon everything she'd worked toward to marry a grumpy old sailor like him. No, it was better that way, with the governess no longer around to distract him, Georg knew he could easily bring back the emotions he felt for Elsa. Not that they would ever compare to anything he'd felt for Maria, which was so close to the love he'd had for his former wife that he almost didn't believe it was possible.

So he proposed.

Then Maria came back. And the relief and joy that came flooding back with her told him he'd just made a big mistake.

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><p>He was a free man, and God if that wasn't the best feeling in the world. It was all Georg could do to keep from running in the direction he'd seen her heading. She's not going anywhere, he thought with a smile he couldn't quite tame. While he was still a little unsure of Maria's true feelings, Elsa's parting words indicated she was not, and the odds seemed to definitely be in his favor.<p>

He found her on the bench outside the gazebo, looking as sad as she had that afternoon when she'd arrived. She had put on a good show at dinner, more for his children, Georg figured, than anything. But there would be times when he'd catch unawares and find the same sad look in her eye. Seeing her now, he hoped his words would bring back the twinkle in her eyes.

Georg took a deep breath and willed himself to relax.

"Hello."

Her head shot up at the sound of his voice. She looked panicked for a split second before she schooled hee features into the almost emotionless mask she had been wearing all evening.

"I thought I just might find you here," he said, moving closer to her. Maria stood up and backed up a little in response.

"Was there something you wanted?" Her voice was tentative, mixed with slight confusion. He couldn't blame her; Georg knew he'd never been spoken so causally to her. If he had his way, he'd never have to speak formerly to her again.

"Hmm?" he answered. "No. Sit down, please. Please," he emphasized again when she remained standing. Maria sat back on the bench, but kept eyeing him, a curious look on her face.

"Uh, may I?" He gestured to the empty spot on the bench next to her, giving her the option to say no, not that he thought she would. She nodded and he sat down next to her, the silence stretching out and becoming more uncomfortable than it already was. Georg let out a nervous chuckle.

"You know, I was wondering, uh, two things." He cursed himself for fumbling over his words like a teenage boy. "Why did you run away to the Abbey? And, what was it thay made you come back?"

She'd looked over at him when he began speaking, but now looked off in the other direction. "I had an obligation to fulfil, and I came to to fulfil it."

She'd carefully avoided his first question he noticed, but let it slide. He had a good idea as to her reasoning behind that one.

"And I missed the children," she added. Georg nodded.

"Uh, only the children?"

"No. Yes! Isn't it right I should've missed them?"

Her misstep, her 'no' had made his heart soar and helped elevate most of his fears. She'd missed him too.

"Oh yes, yes of course." He paused slightly before continuing. "I was only hoping perhaps..." Georg trailed off unsure of what to say next. Hoping perhaps you missed me, too? Didn't he already establish that she had, hadn't she already given herself away on that one? Because honestly, who else was she going to be embarrassed about missing? Not Max, and certainly not Elsa.

"Yes," Maria prompted when he remained quiet. Georg looked up into her eyes and decided he was brave enough to say what he felt.

"Well, nothing was the same when you we're away. And it'll be all wrong again after you leave. And I was hoping perhaps you might have..." he let his hope and fear show on his face as they stared at each other, "change your mind?"

Maria sighed, her gaze falling from his and she stood up and moved toward the gazebo. "I'm sure the Baroness will be able to make things fine for you."

The underlying hurt in her voice was all he needed to hear to know Elsa had been right. Maria was never going to be a nun.

"Maria."

She stopped walking, seeming almost frozen at his use of her first name and not her title. It felt good to say her name out loud and he let it hang there for a moment before continuing.

"There isn't going to be any baroness." Not unless you marry me, he thought.

"There isn't?" She sounded dazed.

"No," he said, getting up to move closer to her.

"I don't understand."

If they were going to have this conversation standing, there was not reason not to have it in the gazebo. So Georg walked past her, leading her inside.

"Well, we've, um, called off our engagement you see and-"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Maria cut him off, still sounding dazed.

"Mmm hmm," he said automatically, before her words registered. "You are?"

Maria nodded before coming out it herself. Her head snapped up. "You did?" She sounded incredulous and hopeful and Georg wanted to kiss her right then.

"Yes."

Maria still looked like she could hardly hope to believe what he was subtlely implying, so Georg was happy to be much less subtle.

"Well, you can't marry someone when you're," he made sure to look her straight in the eye so there could be no interpretation of his meaning, "in love with someone else. Can you?" He couldn't keep the smile out of his voice, or off of his face as she shook her head no.

And then, finally, he leaned in to kiss her and when their lips met, he was surprised to discover it was nothing like he'd dreamt.

It was so much better.


End file.
